Steam-condenser.



D. McN. RAMSAY.

STEAM COVNDENSEH. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. |916.

Patented 11801111916.

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INVENTOR Q [j DAVID MCNAB mms/w ,6:4 ATTO RNEYS n. MCN. BAMSAY. STEAM coNDENsER. vAPPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1916.

,1,209,331; Patented Deo. 19, 1916 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR DAVID Mc NAB RAMSAY ,BY

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D. McN. RAMSAY.

STEAM coNDENsER.

APPLICATION FILED APR- B I9I i.

1,209,331. Patented De@.19,1916.

INYE NTOI?` UHYID IYINAB RAMSAY BY a ATTORNEYS DAVID MCNAB RAIVISAY, OF MOUNT FLORIDA, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

STEAM-CONDENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Dec. 1 9, 1916.

Application filed April 6, 1916. Serial No. 89,428.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID MCNAB RAM- sAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Mount Florida, Glasgow, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steamondensers, of which the following is the specication.

The invention has for its object to provide a condenser of' surface type of high steam capacity, of high eiliciency as regards its consumption of cooling fluid in relation to the cooling surface exposed, and capable of maintaining a high vacuum such as is required for its use for example with steam turbines.

A condenser made according to the invention comprises essentially a series of heat exchanging elements which are alternately and successively immersed in a liquid,'which is preferably a. cooling medium, and withdrawn, and while moist with that liquid exposed to a. current of air.

The heat exchanging units, which are broadly of a typefheretofore used in certain forms of cooler, concentrator, and nonvacuum maintaining condenser, may be of any convenient form, for example they may be tubular with tubes of any section or contour desired, or they may be of honeycomb form, or having narrow chambers. Means are provided for leading steam to them, for segregating and extracting the condensate, that is, for so collecting and delivering the condensate that the withdrawal of the air is not impeded, for maintaining a vacuum, and for alternately submerging the units in the liquid and subjecting them to a current ofair, the whole being so contrived that the possibility of fiooding or choking is prevented and therefore a high internal vacuum is readily maintainable, because air within the condensers has at all times access to the means for maintaining the vacuum.

In order that the invention and the manner of performing the same may be properly understood there are hereunto appended four sheets of explanatory drawings showing an illustrative example of the improved condenser, Figure l, Sheet 1 being a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof, Fig. 2, Sheet 2 a sectional left-hand end elevation, Fig. 3, Sheet 3 a right-hand end elevation, while Figs. l and 5, Sheet l are respectively a sectional end and a sectional side elevation of a detail.

According to this example there is pro vlded a. drum like structure consisting of two series A, B of annular segmental headers connected by annular segmental groups C of tubes (for the sake of clear-ness, only those groups at top and bottom are shown in Fig. l). The steam to be condensed is admitted by a trunnion pipe D supported in al tubular sleeve E carrying the headers A and supported in a pedestal bearing F. A packing gland G' is provided between trunmon pipe and sleeve, and there is fixed to the sleeve a wormwheel I-I by which the whole is rotated. The steam is directed to the headers A by a cone I and a series of radial blades K which divide it into separate streams for each header. A central shaft L connects the headers A, B, the latter being suported by a spider' M thereon, while a disk N serves to support the tube elements at the center of their length.

The segmental headers B are connected with a central discharge manifold l? by pipes R which make connection each at one end of a header-that is to say adjacent to the radial partition closing its end. The manifold P is shown enlarged and separate in Figs. l and 5, and it will be seen that each pipe R is bent round to deliver in axial line, and that all, pressed to triangular section, are nested together. The pipes deliver directly to the manifold which is supported in a pedestal bearing W and is connected with a discharge pipe X provided with a packing gland Y. The discharge pipe X is connected with any convenient form of pump or pumps adapted to handle the effluent from the condenser and maintain an adequate vacuum therein.

By the manner in which the pipes R are connected to the headers B and the trunnion piece or manifold P, condensate is collected and discharged from the several headers B in such wise that the several condensing elements cannot become flooded or choked with water, the water in each header section being automatically discharged as it passes the highest point during its rotation.

A fan A1 driven by an electric motor B1 delivers air to a circular trunk C1 mounted on the headers B. The air passes between the pipes R and the arms of the spider M to the space within the tube elements, and from thence passes radially outward through the groups of tubes, cooling them both by evaporation of the film of cooling liquid on their surfaces and by conduction.

A cooling liquid tank D1 is arranged beneath the rotatory drum structure in such wise that the tube elements and headers dip into cooling liquid in it mai'nti'tinedL at the requisite level by a float valve E1.

In action, the groups of tubes forming the heat exchanging elements are successively immersed in the liquid by the slow rotation of the drum like structure. While immersed, some of the heat of the contained steamV may be given up by surface contact of the tubes with the liquid. The elements then emerge coated with a thin lilm of the liquid which is evaporated by the heat of the tubes and carried away by the current of air to which it is subjected, thus cooling the steam evaporatively.

The essence of the invention lies in providing in combination means in a surface condenser for subjecting the heat exchanging elements alternately to an evaporating liquid and when moist to a current of air, (such being broadly known) and means for segregating the condensate and discharging it in such a manner that a high vacuum is maintainable, and it is clear that the manner of carrying it into effect may be very widely Varied from the example just given Copies of-ths patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing theifcommissioner of lllatents,V

which is Vpurely illustrative and in no wise limitative.

lVhat I claim is l. In a condenser having surface 'heatexchanging elements, in combination, known means for subjecting the elements (of broadly known form) alternately to an evaporative liquid and when moist therewith to a current of air, known means for supplying steam to be condensed to the elements, means for so segregating and extracting the con-V densate from the elements that the withdrawal of air is not impeded, means for maintaining a vacuum therein and means for preventing flooding of the elements'by the condensate, as set forth.

2. In a condenser, a drum like structure, segmental annular headersV formed thereby, tube elements connecting said headers, means for supporting and rotating the drum, means for applying cooling medium to the exterior of the tubes and headers, means for admitting steam to the interior thereof,

Washington, D. C. 

